How to hire a sales planner

How to hire a sales planner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sales planner hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a sales planner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new sales planner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a sales planner do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the sales planner you need to hire. Certain sales planner roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A sales planner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sales planners from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of sales planner salaries for various roles:

   Type of Sales Planner	Description	Hourly rate
   Sales Planner	Sales managers direct organizations' sales teams. They set sales goals, analyze data, and develop training programs for organizations’ sales representatives.	$19-35
   Sales/Field Sales Manager	Sales or Field Sales Managers oversee the group in charge of conducting sales activities outside of the office or company branches. They manage field sales employees by hiring and training them... Show more	$24-59
   Department Sales Manager	The department sales manager is a person in charge of working with a company's marketing, advertising, and sales department. The service's sales manager ensures that the company receives better marketing... Show more	$19-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • PowerPoint
   • Customer Service
   • Media Sales
   • Math
   • Account Executives
   • Sales Proposals
   • MRI
   • DFP
   • Account Management
   • Nielsen
   • AE
   • Sales Process
   • Media Planning
   • RFP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Customize a CRM solution for the company by purchasing off the shelf software to manage and follow up on sales leads.
   • Provide leadership and independently manage 6 national account reps booking [] in revenue for 2008 and [] for 2009.
   • Manage ad inventory availability and reservation process through DFP.
   • Manage Doubleclick interface and capabilities for both direct and programmatic business.
   • Leverage other sales office resources and administrative/support staff to achieve personal and team relate revenue goals.
   • Dedicate marketing research consultant via Nielsen MRI data.

   More sales planner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sales planner job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A sales planner salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, sales planners' average salary in south carolina is 36% less than in oregon.
   • Seniority. Entry-level sales planners earn 45% less than senior-level sales planners.
   • Certifications. A sales planner with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a sales planner's salary.

   Average sales planner salary

   $55,883yearly

   $26.87 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sales planner salary

   $41,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average sales planner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Arizona	$66,386	$32
   2	California	$65,507	$31
   3	Massachusetts	$62,536	$30
   4	Maryland	$61,091	$29
   5	Florida	$60,986	$29
   6	New York	$57,050	$27
   7	Minnesota	$56,727	$27
   8	Pennsylvania	$56,191	$27
   9	Wisconsin	$55,987	$27
   10	Texas	$55,693	$27
   11	New Jersey	$54,861	$26
   12	Illinois	$54,384	$26
   13	North Carolina	$53,496	$26
   14	Ohio	$51,471	$25
   15	Colorado	$51,304	$25

   Average sales planner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Flipboard	$86,535	$41.60
   2	Tripadvisor	$80,246	$38.58
   3	Marriott International	$77,345	$37.19	188
   4	WebMD	$66,995	$32.21	2
   5	AMC Networks	$66,644	$32.04	3
   6	Telemundo Group, Inc.	$66,573	$32.01
   7	Coty	$65,283	$31.39	1
   8	L'Oréal	$65,273	$31.38	6
   9	VF	$64,989	$31.24	8
   10	Yelp	$64,336	$30.93	12
   11	Drizly	$63,574	$30.56
   12	Nexstar Media Group	$62,675	$30.13	20
   13	SiriusXM	$62,146	$29.88	2
   14	Ball Arena	$61,119	$29.38
   15	Marvin and	$60,915	$29.29
   16	NBCUniversal	$60,118	$28.90	17
   17	DISH Network	$59,945	$28.82
   18	JCDecaux	$59,831	$28.76	1
   19	iHeartMedia	$59,736	$28.72	17
   20	TEGNA	$59,614	$28.66	3

4. Writing a sales planner job description

   A good sales planner job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a sales planner job description:

   Sales planner job description example

   **Overview:**
   
   **The Adsales Planner** is responsible for the media planning efforts to drive promotion of multimedia advertising campaigns. This includes development, recommendation, implementation, and stewardship that strategically aligns with marketing objectives. The Adsales Planner will be required to contribute to the development of campaign strategy including defining/defending media objectives and tactics.
   
   While working under the guidance of the Commercial Planning Lead, it is the Adsales Planner's responsibility to maintain campaign budgets, buy specs, and timelines while demonstrating knowledge of various media concepts and applications that support team recommendations. Adeptness in media math and sound knowledge of the advertising/media industry/digital is crucial for this position.
   
   Prospect must be organized and possess a critical eye for detail as the gatekeeper for archiving and communicating media details to various departments within Warner Brother Discovery including marketing, creative and finance teams. Must possess effective time management skills and the ability to adapt to change within a fast-paced work environment.
   
   **Responsibilities:**
   
   **The Daily**
   
   + While working under the guidance of the Commercial Planning Lead, it is the Adsales Planner's responsibility to maintain campaign budgets, buy specs, and timelines while demonstrating knowledge of various media concepts and applications that support team recommendations
   
   + Adeptness in media math and sound knowledge of the advertising/media industry is crucial for this position
   
   + Prospect must be organized and possess a critical eye for detail as the gatekeeper for archiving and communicating media details to various departments within Turner including marketing, creative and finance teams
   
   + Must possess effective time management skills and the ability to adapt to change within a fast-paced work environment
   
   + The Adsales Planner will aid in presentations to various agency partners and clients which will require a proficiency in media, advertising and experience with syndicated research tools
   
   + This position will report to the Commercial Planning Lead and will also work with a non-dedicated Assistant Planner
   
   **Qualifications:**
   
   **The Essentials**
   
   + The ideal candidate will have 2-3 years of advertising/media agency experience
   
   + 2-3 years of media experience ideally across TV, Radio, Print, OOH, and Digital/Video
   
   + 4 Year College Degree (Advertising/Marketing/Communications preferred, but not mandatory)
   
   + Candidate must be able to demonstrate their proficiency for working in Microsoft Office (specifically Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Word), as well as syndicated research tools (like MRI, Nielsen, or others)
   
   + Possess excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to multi-task across various projects
   
   + Exhibits mathematical aptitude - especially in finance/accounting & media math
   
   + Passion for the TV/Entertainment and Advertising industries
   
   + Knowledgeable about pop culture, sports, and current events
   
   + Ability to use billing systems is not required but a plus
   
   + Candidate must have strong experience in digital reporting (pivoting data, analyzing, drawing conclusions, and forming/defending recommendations)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find sales planners for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any sales planners they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level sales planners with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your sales planner job on Zippia to find and recruit sales planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting sales planners requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new sales planner

   Once you have selected a candidate for the sales planner position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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